by Jon Hanson
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
7/12/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Air Force selected four winners for the Air Force's productivity and excellence awards recently.
The awards recognize individuals or groups that provide resource-saving improvements to the Air Force.
The Air Force Productivity Excellence Award recognizes individuals and small groups of military and civilians who have made substantial improvements in the quality and productivity of operations through suggestions, special acts or other management initiatives which resulted in savings of at least $1 million.
A panel of senior officers selected three winners out of nine nominations. The 2010 winners are:
-- Lt. Col. Brent Merritt, of the 315th Operations Group at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
-- Maj. Michael Houghland, of the Air Force Judge Advocate General's School at Maxwell AFB, Ala.
-- Lt. Col. Raymond Briggs Jr., of the Logistics, Installations and Mission Support Directorate of Transformation in Southwest Asia.
Merritt developed an analysis for changing the C-17 landing gear extension point on instrument approaches from approximately 12 to six miles. The adoption of the procedure into the C-17 technical order has allowed the Air Force and Air Mobility Command to continue safe operations while achieving significant fuel savings. This will save an estimated $11.7 million annually.
Houghland created CAPSIL, a web-based learning management and distance education system used throughout the JAG Corps. The system maintains more than 250 learning centers, with 10 e-courses and more than 60 catalogued webcasts available at all times to worldwide users. The estimated tangible savings benefit of his efforts during the first year was more than $3.3 million.
Briggs researched, designed and implemented the use of KC-10 Extender inflatable maintenance shelters within the area of responsibility. The shelters helped bring relief to aircraft maintainers from the extreme heat, as well as provide a climate-controlled clean area to perform fuel-cell maintenance. Previously, aircraft had to be sent back to the home station. This resulted in a savings of more than $4.3 million in nine months.
The Air Force Exceptional Innovator Award recognizes outstanding Air Force innovators who contributed to continual performance improvement through the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness Program, commonly known as the IDEA Program. One individual was selected for the award out of seven nominations.
Terrence Rettenberger, of the 416th Supply Management Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, contributed to improving maintenance procedures to F-16 Fighting Falcon antenna component assemblies. His ideas helped the overall antenna reliability and performance in the aircraft. Rettenberger's ideas resulted in a savings of more than $6.5 million in the first year.
The military members are authorized to wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon and the civilian winner is authorized to wear the Air Force Lapel Pin.
